Horse Cake
Chocolate Sheet Cake With Rich Chocolate Frosting
Servings: 16
Ingredients
Cake
- Flour-Added Cooking Spray
- 2 cups sifted cake flour sifted, then measured -- 7 oz by weight
- 1 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk room temperature
- 1/2 cup warm water or coffee
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Frosting:
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 13 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with foil leaving a slight overhang; spray foil with cooking spray.
- Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk. Stir in water (or coffee). Let batter cool if it is warm from the coffee, then stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into pan and bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 225-30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Set pan on a rack and cool completely. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze until ready to use.
- Make Frosting. Using the top of a double boiler or the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir in the espresso powder, then transfer melted chocolate mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- In a food processor, process sugar, cocoa, remaining butter and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape sugar mixture into the stand mixer bowl with the melted chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in cream.
- Place the mixing bowl in refrigerator and chill until very cold. When chilled, mixture will be firm. When ready to use, set the bowl at room temperature until the mixture is not quite so firm.
- Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat cold chocolate mixture until fluffy and spreadable.
Notes
Note: This makes enough frosting to frost two 13x9 inch cakes. It freezes well, so you can freeze half or use all at once.
White frosting (used for mane)
I can't really give proportions because I tend to just throw things in the bowl and beat until the consistency seems right, but the mane was made with softened butter, shortening, confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk. I also did a vegan (dairy free) version with Willow Run spread, shortening, confectioners sugar and soymilk.